Artist : Air
Album Reviewed : 10,000 hz Legend
Produced By : Source Records

I’ve had a ‘Destroy France and All Its’ Frenchy Inhabitants’ device constructed and ready to go for about six years now. When I finally saw ‘Brotherhood of the Wolf’, my hand flew to the button. My mind raced, conflicting emotions vying for control over my quivering finger. It edged closer and closer to a single poke that would mark the end of that nation, when the soothing sounds of ‘Air’ suddenly came flowing into the room. And thus the French people and their filthy little European nation were spared, at least for another few decades.

To be quite honest, I think that the French may be the last bastion left in western civilization for truly innovative indypop. Of course, the argument then starts cropping up about what’s pop and what’s not, but that argument certainly won’t occur around bands like Air, Stereolab or Mellow. Further, it’s really out on the edge, playing around with new styles and ideas, doing, to my mind, for indypop what the surrealists did to art and literature, playing with ideas and function without concern for the effects it might have on their audience, which is why I suspect that so many didn’t seem to like Air’s latest contribution to the music scene.

It’s true. Even those who were gaga over Moon Safari and the Virgin Suicides soundtrack tended to think that 10,000 hz Legend was too pandering and sloppy. I’m sorry, but all I can say to such people is that I can’t figure out what the hell you were getting out of those albums that you’re not getting out of this one, except perhaps a little less play. Seriously, what others are basically describing as ‘selling out’ really amounts to ‘being playful’. It’s nothing more than really taking the time to fiddle around with sound, tinkering, learning, creating. I’d argue, in fact, that quite the opposite of what is being said about them, Air is paying no attention to what would make them more popular. After all, they were working with a winning forumla; if they were most concerned about keeping their fans, they’d have just stuck with it. Instead, they’re out trying new ideas, all the time.

Besides, it’s not exactly like they don’t have room to grow. Moon Safari’s a half album and the Virgin Suicides is a sound track. No, what we’re seeing here is nothing more than a band growing in their concept of music, and a good thing it is.

I’m reminded, in a way, of listening to the director’s voice over for the movie ‘Zero Effect’ (a truly excellent movie.) Turns out it was his first professional product, one which he both scripted and directed. All through the film he kept pointing out things he’d done that, had he known then what he knew now about film, he wouldn’t have. And I remember thinking, time and time again, "But that’s what make the shot so fantastic." What it boiled down to was that he didn’t know how to do the same things that all the other ‘pro’ directors did, so he had to come up with his own ideas. The thing is, this didn’t make it worse, it made it better. New, interesting, it spoke from the heart, if you will. When you learn a trick, a ritual, in art, it substitutes for emotion or idea instead of communicating them. When you don’t know the trick, you’re really using art for expression, and that’s what happened here. His freshness made him a better artist.

The same applies, I think, to Air. Air isn’t interested in using the tried and true formula of a thousand pop bands before them. They’re interested in art, in really creating a notion that reflects them, without adhering to ritual, pattern or popularity.

As for the album, well, man, I loved it. It’s a little rougher (as in, less typically pop) than their previous work, which suits me just fine. It’s irreverent and energetic, and really just is a few people who want to enjoy making music. Plus its considerably less melancholy than Virgin Suicides. Simply put, if you liked earlier Air, I mean really LIKED it, not just thought it was interesting or acceptable, I can’t see how you won’t like 10,000 hz Legend.